New York’s legislative leaders signaled Wednesday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo could swiftly face an impeachment trial if he doesn’t resign, while a growing number of prosecutors also eyed investigative findings that he harassed at least 11 women.
Cuomo denied that he made any inappropriate advances and insisted the findings, released Tuesday, didn’t reflect the facts. But while political pressure grew, so did the potential for criminal charges against the third-term Democratic governor.
District attorneys in Manhattan, suburban Westchester County and the state capital of Albany said they have asked for investigative materials from the inquiry, led by Democratic state Attorney General Letitia James.
Assembly Democrats, who lead the chamber, debated virtually for hours Tuesday about whether to impeach the governor now, wait to see whether he resigns, or give the Assembly Judiciary Committee time to wrap up its wide-ranging investigation into topics from misconduct to the Cuomo administration’s months-long obfuscation of the total number of nursing home residents who died from COVID-19.
If the Assembly votes to impeach Cuomo, the state Senate could launch an impeachment trial “in weeks,” Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris told The Associated Press.
Gianaris, a Democrat, said the chamber has been preparing for a potential impeachment trial for months.
“We’ll be ready to go if and when the impeachment articles are sent over,” he said. “It could happen very quickly.”
The 150-member Assembly would need 76 votes to impeach Cuomo and send articles of impeachment to the Senate. The Assembly includes 106 Democrats, 43 Republicans and one Independent.
At least two dozen Assembly Democrats called for impeachment in public statements issued Tuesday, according to a tally compiled by The Associated Press. Some said the Assembly should vote for impeachment now, while others said the chamber should impeach Cuomo if he doesn’t resign.
Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay urged Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat, to convene an emergency special session to vote to impeach Cuomo.
James’ investigation, conducted by two outside lawyers, painted what she called “a deeply disturbing yet clear picture” of a governor who made inappropriate comments to a series of women, many of whom worked for him. One is state trooper whom Cuomo successfully sought to have assigned to his security detail.
While many of the allegations against Cuomo involve verbal comments, some women have also alleged that he physically inappropriate.
The governor denied Tuesday that he ever inappropriately touched anyone, said that he never intended harm and cast doubt on the political motivations of investigators, accusers and critics.
To date, Cuomo has rebuffed calls to step down and has moved ahead with plans to run for a fourth term in 2022.
(AP)
7 Responses
if this was Trump hed be impeached by now 3 times.
When the left eat their own it is for a reason! You think they want Cuomo out because he did something wrong? Think again. Guess who becomes the Governor? Letitia James!!
Also! Our great mayor is eying the governorship for the next election.
With the left, the issue is never the issue.
For the “Progressive” (quasi-socialist) Democrats this is a golden opportunity. At this point Cuomo is unlikely to run in 2022, so if the moderate (“normal”) Democrats rally around someone, it will be much harder for the Progressives to win the nomination. The replacement Governor is a conservative (by Democratic, New York City standards) from upstate, and if she run it guarantees there will be multiple moderate Democrats in the primary, which will help the Progressives.
For the Republicans, this is also a golden opportunity. An undamaged Cuomo running for reelection would be hard to beat. However the current situation guarantees the Democrats will be beating each other to death in next year’s primaries, giving the Republicans an opportunity they haven’t hard for some time – assuming the New York Republicans can get their “act together”, which would be amazing. The best bet for the Republicans is for a radical left-wing Democrat to get the nomination, and in the process alienate the non-woke Democrats in New York City as well as the entire population of upstate (cf. how Ed Koch lost to Mario Cuomo back in the 20th century).
I hope he has nightmares tonight of all the נשמות whose deaths he caused coming to harass him.
led by Democratic state Attorney General Letitia James. Let this keep this low life woman busy:- The more tied up she becomes with this serious criminal case, the less time she has to pester President Donald Trump with a fictitious case over something President Donald Trump is totally innocent of.
with “moderate” friends like these who needs enemies like AOC?
the jewish community wants him out and they want him in, whomever gives funding for the moisdos